Kitzbuehel slalom: guide Feller, eighth room. Outside Vinatzer

Illustrious victims (from Vinatzer to McGrath), the winner of the last slalom more than a second and a half behind the leader, in the lead the Austrian Manuel Feller who hasn’t won a slalom since March two years ago. The race that closes the Kitzbuehel program offers surprises in the first heat, starting from the head: the icy track, unlike the last few races, exalted Feller and put several colleagues in difficulty.

The race

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The Austrian started with bib number 1, overcame the traps of the counter slope for a 52”18 that no one has ever been able to better. Neither Braathen, the leader of the specialty standings finished at 31/100, nor the other Norwegian Kristoffersen, in trouble and very far away (at 1”45). The gaps are minimal among the top 8: there are Strasser at 50/100, Noel at 53/100, Meillard at 68/100, Zenhaeusern at 75/100, Yule at 85/100 and then Tommaso Sala at 1”01. Blocked by back pain, Giuliano Razzoli did not participate in the slalom.

The blues

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After the progress and the return to the first group Vinatzer had started well, the first intermediate was in line with the best, then late in the line he was catapulted into the air. Tommaso Sala, who came down with bib number 15, paid for the delay in the first counter slope that put many colleagues in crisis, but managed to manage up to the eighth place finish. Gross managed and finished 19th at 1.92s behind Feller. Simon Maurberger also qualified for the second heat, 26th at 2”26.

At 13.30 the second heat.